Car-stove



W. H. GARDINER.

CAR STOVE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, I917- Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. .H. GARDINER.

CAR STOVE.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 20. I917.

Patented Mg. 23,1921

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM n; eannmnn, or ALBANY, NEW YORK, Assrenon, BY Mnsnn AssreN- mnnzrs, TO THE PETER smrrn HEATER COMPANY, A coaronarron or ,mon

IGAN.

CAR-STOVE.

Specification of Letters Patent; Patented A11 23, 1921.

Application filed September 20, 1917. Serial No. 192,245.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. GARDINER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Albany and State of New York, have invented an improvement in Car- S toves, of which the following is a specificatlon.

My present invention relates to stoves particularly adapted for heating cars, especially those operated electrically; and it concerns improvements in these devices by which the air is circulated through compartments in the stove by means of a blower, preferably an electrically operated device. After the air is heated it is discharged into ducts which distribute it in the car in well-known ways, not only heating but ventilating the latter.

In the operation of stoves of this character known to me, there has been considerable trouble in adapting the stove to different external temperatures. In general, when efficiently operated to provide for cold weather, there has been great overheating if the temperature outside rises, and as there is a'considerable body of fuel in the stove this overheating is maintained for some time. In the arrangement of stove which'I prefer, and which is illustrated in the drawings of this case, there are several compartments through which the air may be forced; and these are arranged so that they may be connected in series or in multiple, or one may be shut off, according to the temperature outside. By this arrangement, air is first heated in an external compartment, which is separated from the fire compartment by an interior one, the arrangement being such that the air passes first through the exterior compartmentand then through the interior one, absorbing heat from the fire-pot and from the smoke flue, after which it passes into the duct, preferably in the lower part of the car, for distribution as stated. When the temperature rises, however, and the air would otherwise be much overheated, the arrangement of the compartments is different; the one adjacent to the fire-pot and stack is shut off from the draftof air, so that the latter passes. only through the exterior compartmentof the stove. The air is thus passed through the apparatus at lower temperature, and also in increased quantity, inasmuch as the frictional resistance of this shorter path is lower than that from the two compartments in series.

In addition to this arrangement I provide means by which, when the blast is shut off, the heated air arising from the natural ventilation of the stove is conducted away from the fan motor, taking a diflferent path from that through which it ordinarily flows when the blast is going. In this way the overheating of the motor is prevented. So

far as I know, the ventilation systems of stoves in common use pass the hot air in close proximity to the motor, giving it no chance to cool when the current is turned 01f from it, and increasing the liability of its burning out.

Another difficulty of stoves in common use has been, that if they provide for different .paths for the air when the blast is on and ofi,

the control of this is often tampered with by the car-crew; and even when automatic dampers are used, it is common for the motorman or conductor to block them in fixed position, which of course renders them quite inoperative. My invention obviates this difiiculty, because those parts of my stove which are automatic in action are entirely contained within the structure, and are wholly inaccessible to the car-crew.

The means which I employ for regulating the paths of the hot air for different effects or temperatures is necessarily within the control of the crew, however and may also be so manipulated as not only to provide the two paths required, but to cause part of the air to flow through the longer of thern'and part through the shorter one, so that the regulation of temperature may be efl'ected by mixing the two to any desired extent. It is also true that in severe weather part of the air to be heated may be drawn from the in- .side of the car, and mixed in the stove with that from the outside so as not to cause too 3 is a plan of an internal partition hereinafter described.

Fig. 4 is a plan of an interior horizontal plate. V

Fig. 5 is a plan, and

Fig. 6 an end elevation, of an automatic damper which I use in connection with the blower before referred to. I

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section approximately upon the lines 7--7 of Fig. l, with a part broken away to show the arrangement ofdampers.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a corrugated cast-iron firepot of common description, such as is usual in these stoves; 2 is a flue leading from the top of the fire-pot 'to the stack or smoke pipe 3, which passes up through suitably protected openings in the top of the car,-not shown. 4 is a fire-door and 5 is an ash-pit door, these being provided with the usual draft openings, the use of which is well understood. 6 is an intermediate casing, preflatter is a space, as seen best in Fig. 7. In

the illustrated embodiment this casing is substantially rectangular, but obviously may be of any desired form; the rectangular shape of the stove ispreferred for itsposition in most of the trolleyc'ars 'nowin'use. 7 is the exterior casing of the stove, also preferably of a heavy sheet iron, sufficiently rigid to stand the use to which these devices are put. This is displaced from casing 6 a suitable distance, depending upon the size of the stove-(in the case of the one here illustrated this space is about two inches), and the chamber thus formed is divided by a horizontal partition 11, shown in Fig. 1, and in plan in Fig. 3, into upper and lower compartments which form fines or chambers through which the air is forced, as hereinafter described. A vertical rod32 passes from the top to the bottom of the stove through this chamber, and a handle 35 on the outside of the stove rotates the rod, which forms a rock-shaft and carries a damper 13, controlling the upper half of the chamber formed by the partition 11, and mounted at 90 to the damper 13 is a second damper 14, which controls the lower half 1 of this chamber, presently to be more fully described. I Mounted upon the rock-shaft 32 is an arm 33; pivoted thereto is a rod 34 extending to a similar set of dampers mounted upon 'a shaft similar to the shaft upon the described when I trace the course of the air currents in the stove.

is in action and open when it is idle.

The top of the compartment formed in part by casing 6 is partly closed by the horizontal partition, shown also in plan in Figs. 4 and 7, having a?duct'j16 through which passes the flue 2; This plate or casing.9 closely approximates the-casing 7 on the sides, but at the front and the back there is a space between it and the inclosure so that the air may pass. The casing 6 is closed at the front bya plate 25, which may upon occasion be removed by removing the bolts 25 securing it to the casing 6 and the front of the stove is closed by a plate 27, which may similarly be removed by removing the bolts 27 andv the casing of the fire- -door,- which is effected. by taking out the bolts ,4. lVhen these two plates and the cast-iron fire-door are removed, the entire interior of the compartment formed by the casing 6 is exposed, and the fire-pot. may, if desired, be removed without disassembling the rest of thestove or taking down the motor orany of its adjuncts. I I

The top of the stoveis closed by' thehori- Zontal platelO, which is shown also. in :plan

in Fig. 2. This containsan opening 24- through which the blast of the fan passes, as presently to be described; an opening 30, through which passes the smoke-pipe 3 and to which is connected the flue 2; and-two openings 29, which are closed when the fan These will .be referred to later. Mounted upon the top plate 10 is a housing 17 preferably a casting. This contains an opening at. the top, as indicated in the part which is broken away, through which the'smoke-pipe 3 passes, and betweenit and the pipe is a space of half an inch or so. I Surrounding the pipe is a collar 31, disposed above this opening, but not closeenoug-h to-it to obstruct the flow of air in and out'of it. In the interior'of the housing is a vertical partition 22, containing the orifice 22 through which air passes to the fan'23, driven by the motor 26. Asecond housing 20,'which may be formed separate or be made integral with the'housing 17, covers-an opening-19 through which air may enter from a duct 21. passing through the wall 38 of the car.

Between the horizontal plates 9 and 1O=is mounted the automatic damper 12. shown also in plan in Fig. 5-, andxinzend' elevation in Fig.- 6. This damper is mounted upon the rod 12 and is provided with: weighted fiaps12 it is so arranged that the weights slightly overbalance' the front part of the damper, and when the fan 23. is idle, the damper closes the hole 24 and the weighted flaps open the holes 29-29 in the top plate 10. When, however, the fan starts up the blast of air therefrom pushes down the front end of the-damper 12, andthe' flaps-are elevated and close the holes 29. It will be observed that this damper is completely inclosed within the stove, and is wholly inaccessible from the outside without open-' be determined from Figs. 1 and 7. The

dampers are set in Fig. 1 for maximum heating effect, the course of the current when the fan is running being as follows :--Air is drawn in through the duct 21 from the outside of the car and also to a less extent from the inside of the car through the opening between the housing 17 and the smoke-pipe 3. Air then passes through the opening 22 into the fan, and is by it driven against the damper 12, opening the hole 24 in the top plate 10 and closing the holes 29- -29, as previously explained, by the tilting upward of the flaps 12 of the damper 12. The air then passes down between the walls 25 and 27 in the front of the stove and around the corner of the casing 6, as the space between it and the front plates of the stove is arranged to be of suflicient size to permit the passage of the draft into the chamber be" tween the casing 6 and the outside casing 7 of the stove. With the arrangement of dampers 13 and 14 shown in Fig. 1, the lower part or duct of this casing is closed against the direct draft of air by the damper 14, and the upper part is opened by the damper 13. The air then passes around between the upper parts of casing 6 and casing 7 to the backof the stove, thence up between the back of the stove and the top plate 9; thence it passes through the duct 16 around the flue 2 and the fire-pot 1, being forced to the bottom of the stove, whence it passes through the opening 15 in the casing 6 and is forced out through the duct 8, to be distributed through the car. The course of the draft on the'opposite side of the stove is precisely identical, as will be evident from considering the sectional view, Fig. 7. When the stove is located in the center of the car, ducts 8 may extend from each side thereof; but when, as is common, it is located near one platform, there is only one of the ducts 8,, and all of the air will be forced out through the said duct.

When, however, the weather is milder and so much heat is not desirable, the handle 35 is pushed toward the back of the stove for 90; this will turn the damper 13 across the opening through the upper flue between V the casing 6 and the casing 7 and will also open the lower flue turning the damper 1 1, as indicated by the dotted lines; and will close the opening 15 in the casing 6. Under these conditions the air does not pass down the duct .16 and around the fire-pot and the flue 2, but passes only adjacent to the plate 25 and easing 6, whence it flows out through the lower part of the chamber, betweencasing 6 and casing 7, directly into the duct 8. It will be obvious that by adjusting the position of the handle 35 a part of the air may be permitted to pass into the upper chamber and around through the chamber containing the fire-pot, and the same position of the handle 35 will open the hole '13 partway, so that the two drafts will be blended and the temperature regulated as nicely as may be desired.

When the fan is stopped, however, the damper 12 rises and closes the opening 24:. Under these conditions the natural or convection draft of the stove causes the air to rise and pass through the openings 29 in the plate 10, blending to a greater or less extent with the draft from outside through duct 21. There it passes out through the opening between the housing 17 and the smoke-pipe. It will be observed that by this arrangement no part of the hot air passes over the motor 26, but the discharge thereof is above the motor and away from it, so that there is only the radiation from the stove to be provided for. Such radiation to a great extent'is cut off by means of the shield 28, interposed-between the stove and the motor, thus effectively preventing the overheating of the latter. Of course when the fan is running there is a slight suction through the opening between the housing 17 and the smoke-pipe.

Changes may be made in the arrangement. without departing from the invention. I have not thought it necessary to illustrate or describe a sliding damper in the duct 21 to regulate the amount of external air admitted, or the means connected with the duct 8 for distributing the air through the car, since they are old and well known. I

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a car stove, the combination of a fire-pot, a plurality of air-heating chambers surrounding it, a fan and means for conducting a blast of air from the fan through the surrounding air-heating chambers in series, or for cutting out part of them at will.

2. In a car stove, the combination of a fire-pot, an air-heating chamber surrounding it, a second air-heating chamber surrounding the first, dampers controlled from outside the stove and acting in one position to connect the chambers in series, and in another position to open one of the chambers and close another; and a fan for passing a blast of air through one or both of the chambers according to the positionof the dampers.

3. In a car. stove, the combination of a fire-pot, an air-heating chamber surrounding it, a second alr-heatlng chamber surround ing the first and divided into a pluralityv of ducts, one of which communicates with the first chamber and another of which communicates with the car interior; a fan, and means for conducting the blast from the fan through the ducts in a desired relation.

4. In a car stove, a heating means, a chamber surrounding it, a second chamber surrounding the first, the second chamber being divided into upper and lower ducts; dampers for opening and closing the ducts at will, and a fanfor passing a blast of air through the ducts; the arrangement being such that the dampers may connect the lower duct to the chamber surrounding the heating means near the bottom of the latter, and the upper duct to the said chamber near the top thereof, thus passing the blast of air through the upper duct, the chamber surrounding the heating means and the lower duct; or by shifting the dampers, cutting out the upper duct and the chamber surrounding the heating means; or by placing the dampers in an intermediate position, permitting a part of the blast to pass through the ducts and the heating chamber in series, and part of it to be diverted through the lower duct, thus blending the two parts of the blast and tempering the air, as desired. 7

5. In a car stove, a fan, amotor driving it, an opening in the top of the stove above the motor through which the natural draft of the stove may pass when the fan is idle, and means, automatically operated by the stopping of the fan, for directing the draft of air-through such opening.

6. In a car stove, a fan, a motor driving it, an opening in the top of the stove above the'motor through which the natural draft of the stove may pass when the fan is idle, and means, automatically operated by the stopping of the fan for directing the draft of air through such opening, such means comprising a balanced damper, operated by the blast of the fan, and wholly inclosed within the stove.

7. In a car stove, the combination of air heatingmeans, a chamber surrounding said means, a fan for delivering air to said chamber, a plate covering the chamber and provided with two sets of openings, and a balanced damper operated by the starting and stopping of the fan; the damper acting when I the fan is in operation to close one set of opening in the plate and to open another, and when the fan is idle to open the second openings and close the'others.

8. In a car stove provided with ducts through which thevair may be passed when heated, two dampers set at an angle to each other upon the same rod, one damper acting to control one of the ductsand the other damper to control the other duct, the arrangement being such that with. the dampers V v in one position the current of air will pass heating chambers surrounding the heating means, a partltlon forming upper andlower ducts in the outer chamber, one of said ducts having an outlet to the inner chamber and the other duct having an inlet thereto'from the inner chamber and having a discharge opening, means for delivering air under pressure to said ducts, and a damper adjustable to positions for respectively cutting off the air supply to the duct having the discharge opening and for closing" the inlet to i said duct from the inner chamber.

10. In a car stove, the combination with an air heating means, of inner, and outer air heating chambers surrounding'the heating means, a partition forming upper and lower ducts in the outer chamber, one of said ducts having an outlet to the inner chamber and the, other duct having an inlet thereto from the inner chamber, and havingva discharge opening, means for delivering air under" pressure to said ducts, a damper adjustable to positions for respectively cutting off the air supply to the duct having the discharge opening andfor closing the inlet to said duct from the inner chamber, a damper controlling the air supply'to the other duct, and a common control means. forsaid dampers.

11. In acar stove, the combination with an air heating means, of a.casinginclosing said heating means, said casing having an, nlet for alrunder pressure and an outlet for convection, a1r currents rlsing when" the pressure is discontinued, a damper having position for respectively closing sald openings balanced to open saidinlet'and close said outlet when subjected to the pressure of incomingair and to close said inlet and open the outlet when the pressure is discontinued.

an air heating means, a casing inclosing said heating means providedwith air heating ducts arranged for connection'in' series, means for delivering air under pressure to said ducts, dampers respectively controlling" the air supplyto said ductsconnected to establish a supply to one of the ducts when cutting, off said supply to the other one of said dampers acting to establishor cut off the flow of air in series throughsaid ducts V g 1 115 12. In a car stove, the combination with ing said means, means for compelling a flow of air into the outer chamber, a passage for discharging the heated air from the stove and valve mechanism for eiiecting a connection of the outer chamber with said discharge passage independently of the inner chamber, or establishing a flow of air from the outer chamber through the inner chamher to said discharge passage.

14:. In a car stove, the combination with air heating means, with inner and outer air heating chambers surrounding said means, a partition forming upper and lower ducts in one of said chambers, one of said ducts having an outlet to the other chamber and the other duct having an inlet thereto from said other chamber and having a discharge opening, means for delivering air under pressure to said duct, and a damper adjustable to positions for respectively cutting off the air supply to the duct having the discharge opening and for closing said inlet to said duct.

15. In a car stove, the combination with an air heating means, of inner and outer air heating chambers securing said means, a partition forming an upper and lower duct in one of said chambers, one of said ducts having an outlet to the other chamber and the other duct having an inlet thereto from said other chamber and having a discharge opening, means for delivering air under pressure to said ducts, a damper adjustable to positions for respectively cutting off the air supply to the duct having the discharge opening and for closing the inlet to said duct, a damper controlling the air supply to the other duct and a common control means for said dampers.

16. In a car stove, a fan and motor driving the same surmounting the stove, a smoke stack rising from the stove, a housing surmounting the stove and surrounding said stack, and means automatically operated by stopping of the fan for directing the convection current of air into said housing.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 13th day of September 1917.

' IVILLIAM H. GARDINER. 

